Synthesis, structure and reactions of a dinitrogen complex of iron(0), [Fe(N2)(depe)2] (depe = Et2PCH2CH2PEt2)

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Abstract
Reduction of [FeCl2(depe)2] (depe = Et2PCH2CH2PEt2) by sodium–naphthalene under nitrogen gave a dinitrogen complex of iron(0), [Fe(N2)(depe)2] 1, in 72% yield. The crystal structure of 1 shows that the dinitrogen ligand bonds in an end-on fashion in a trigonal-bipyramidal geometry. Protonolysis of 1 by HCl gave trans-[FeH(Cl)(depe)2] with quantitative evolution of molecular nitrogen and then [FeCl2(depe)2] with molecular hydrogen. The dinitrogen ligand in 1 can be replaced by small molecules such as CO, CS2 or H2 to give [Fe(CO)(depe)2], [Fe(CS2)(depe)2] and cis-[FeH2(depe)2] respectively. The molecular structure of [Fe(CO)(depe)2] has been established by X-ray analysis.
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